May is Safety Around Water Month at the Y

The world is 71% water and your children are 100% curious

With May being National Water Safety Month and summer just around the corner, now is the time for parents and caregivers to reinforce the importance of equipping their kids with essential water safety skills.

Swim safety is vitally important to fulfilling the Y’s mission and cause. As "America's Swim Instructor", the Y typically teaches more than 1,000,000 children invaluable water safety and swimming skills each year using the techniques from their "Safety Around Water Program."  This program consists of eight lessons designed to teach kids water safety skills that help reduce the risk of drowning and build their skills and confidence in and around water. 

Parents and guardians have a critical role to play in teaching their kids water safety skills – but they don’t have to do it alone! Check out our 5 Water Safety Tips to get prepared for this summer.

Equip your children with the tools they need to be safe and confident in and around water so they don’t lose out on the health benefits of exercise, the opportunities to bond with family and friends and the sense of accomplishment when they learn new skills. 

Hard Facts About Drowning

  • Drowning Statistics
      • Drowning claims 4,000-5,000 lives annually in the U.S., with an average of 11 fatal drownings and 22 non-fatal drownings daily.
      • It's the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 and the second for ages 1-14.
      • Among those 54 and older, drowning remains a top four cause of death.
      • Drowning incidents cost the U.S. economy $53.22 billion annually.
      • 40% of drownings require extensive medical care, compared to 10% for other injuries.
      • 23% of child drownings occur during family gatherings by pools.
        • 88% happen with at least one adult present; nearly 70% during non-swim times.
        • Annually, drowning fatalities equal to losing 11 school buses of children, with each bus seating 80 students.
        • Two-thirds of home drownings occur in bathtubs.
      • Drowning is quick and silent, occurring in 20-60 seconds, with 80% of drowning victims over age 1 are males, often due to risk-taking and alcohol use.

    "I hear ‘I didn’t know’ from families of fatal and non-fatal drowning victims all the time. This is the phrase that haunts me and every person in the water safety space. The goal of the Water Safety Champion campaign is to achieve maximum awareness of the tools to prevent drowning and to never hear ‘I didn’t know’ from another parent again. "

    — Adam Katchmarchi, Ph.D., Executive Director, NDPA

    Learn more: WWW.NDPA.ORG

    MAKE A SAFE SPLASH!

     

    WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

    KNOW WHY SWIM SKILLS ARE IMPORTANT

    Drowning can be prevented with swim lessons! Formal swimming lessons reduce the risk of drowning by 88% for children ages 1-4. 90% of U.S. parents view swimming as essential for children, akin to first aid and cooking simple meals, however 24% of parents lack confidence with water activities. The Y can help! Register for swim lessons or view the home activities guide below. Contact your YMCA location's aquatics department for more information. View all aquatic facility information here.

    SWIM SAFELY WITH SWIM LESSONS

    The Y is America's swim instructor with over 1 million swim lessons annually! Find the water confidence you and your love ones need by registering for swim lessons at your local YMCA. The YMCA of San Diego County offers a variety of swim lessons for all ages, from parent/child classes to private lessons for adults. View all swim lessons available to you on our swim page. 

    Home Activities — Developing Good Swim Technique

    Practice swim technique at home or while enjoying family swim time at the Y to help develop good form and build stamina in a particular skill. When the skill has been mastered on land or in a bathtub, it becomes easier to perform in the water. Home activities should be performed under adult supervision.

    View Our Home Activities Guide


    JOIN OUR AQUATICS TEAM

    Whether you're looking to help save lives as a lifeguard, teach kids how to be safe in the water as a friendly, encouraging swim lesson instructor or be a motivate and strengthen swim skills as a swim team coach, the YMCA has the aquatics job for you!

    View our aquatics openings

     

     

    LEARN AND PRACTICE THE FIVE LAYERS OF PROTECTION

    1. Fences & Barriers - around any body of water. 
    2. Supervision - around any body of water at all times. 
    3. Water competency - floating, swimming skills.
    4. USCG approved lifejackets - on boats, bodies of water, etc.
    5. Emergency preparation - learn child CPR and call 9-1-1 immediately in case of emergencies.

    Learn more at NDPA.ORG.